The Air Force told Alaska's congressional delegation Wednesday it has launched a review that may end with a decision to keep a squadron of F-16s at Eielson Air Force Base or move them to Anchorage or to Nevada.
The move follows an announcement by the Air Force in August that Eielson will be the future home for 48 F-35 jets, a fighter aircraft that remains under development for the Pentagon. As part of that decision, the Air Force called for a review of future options for the 18 F-16s now at Eielson.
The aggressor squadron is called upon to portray the part of Russians in the war games and training exercises known as "Red Flag." The F-16 pilots serve as mock adversaries during the training exercises, simulating all parts of an attack or escape.
If the F-35 jets are deployed to Eielson in the years ahead, they may need some of the space occupied by the 18 F-16s, according to the Air Force briefing.
"Now that we have identified Eielson AFB as the preferred alternative for the (Pacific Air Forces) F-35s, we must determine whether Eielson AFB is still the best location for the 18th Aggressor Squadron's F-16s or if another installation would be better suited for the mission." Timothy Bridges, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, said in a press release. "We'll be sending Headquarters Air Combat Command out to the three installations to complete site surveys."
The Air Force said the options are to keep them at Eielson, move them to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson or send them to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. It said the three installations all support Red Flag exercises.
The "preferred and reasonable locations" are to be picked by Feb. 15, with a basing decision to follow an environmental review, the Air Force said.
In September, one aggressor squadron of F-15s at Nellis was deactivated because of Pentagon budget cuts, leaving that base with an aggressor squadron of F-16s.
The Air Force had studied moving the Eielson F-16s to JBER but scrapped that plan in 2013.